Establishing Churches

Driving home: That one simply cannot be for Christ, but against his church. That it is a spiritual. And moral. Impossibility. To be saying from the heart, yes to Christ. And no to his church.

A student's placard with 'Jesus, yes; the church, no' is used to introduce the central tension of the sermon, prompting the audience to consider how they would refute such a sentiment.

Jesus, yes. The church, no. These were the words printed in bold letters on a placard carried by a student some years ago. Now let me ask you.

4:30 - 4:45 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Pastor Martin introduces the sermon by challenging the sentiment 'Jesus, yes; the church, no,' arguing that it is a spiritual and moral impossibility to love Christ while…

The analogy of reverencing Christ (the head) while despising His church (the body) is illustrated by the absurdity of attacking a person's body while claiming to respect their head, emphasizing the inseparable nature of Christ and His church.

That the church is the body of Christ. Of which Christ is the head. And you can no more reverence and love the head. And despise the body.

6:52 - 7:06 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Pastor Martin introduces the sermon by challenging the sentiment 'Jesus, yes; the church, no,' arguing that it is a spiritual and moral impossibility to love Christ while…

The analogy of honoring Pastor Martin (the husband) but despising his wife, Marilyn, is used to show the impossibility of loving Christ (the bridegroom) while rejecting His church (the bride), as they are 'one flesh'.

And no to that which is Christ's body. It is just as impossible to come to me. And say you know Pastor Martin. I kind of like you.

7:49 - 7:58 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: He reviews previous sermons in the series 'Living Together in the Father's House,' reiterating that the church's purpose is to glorify God through worship, edification…

The church is depicted as a large circle with arrows pointing upward (worship), inward (edification), and outward (evangelism, church planting, benevolence) to visually represent the biblical activities by which the church pursues God's glory.

Those five. Participial phrases. Under the imagery of a big. Large circle.

13:28 - 13:32 Read in full sermon

Driving home: Because it is now our intention to discuss the visible church, let us learn, even from the simple title, mother, how useful, indeed necessary it is that we should know her, that is, know the church, as our spiritual moth…

Extended quotations from Augustine, Martin Luther, and John Calvin are used to demonstrate historical theological consensus on the church's centrality and indispensability for salvation, challenging modern discomfort with such strong statements.

by Augustine, Martin Luther, and John Calvin? Augustine said, quote, he cannot have God for his father who does not have the church for his mother. I don't know if I'd go that far. Martin Luther wrote, quote, apart from the church, salvation is impossible. End of quote. Sure I'd go that far. Well, listen to Calvin in

17:53 - 18:33 Read in full sermon

Driving home: But once we come to the persuasion that the church is central and indispensable in the saving purposes of God, then we feel very comfortable with such language that ordinarily, outside of the church, we can find it.

A quote from the Westminster Divines, stating 'out of which there is no ordinary possibility of salvation,' is used to further underscore the historical conviction regarding the church's essential role.

this assumption that the church is indeed central and indispensable in the outworking of the saving purposes of God. The Westminster divines, the men who drafted that confession of faith, went so far as to write these words, the visible church, dot, dot, dot, dot, dot, dot, is the kingdom of the Lord Jesus Christ, the house and family of God, out of which there is no ordinary possibility of salvation. End quote. Now how do you all feel with that?

20:04 - 20:46 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Martin continues the biblical justification by examining Acts 1, showing that Jesus' 40-day post-resurrection instruction to the apostles focused on the Kingdom of God, leading to…

Jesus eating broiled fish after His resurrection is used as an example of His 'apologetic, confirmatory' post-resurrection appearances, proving He was not a ghost but truly risen.

Here he was standing before them in resurrection body. Here he was standing before them in resurrection body. Say, look, you think I'm a ghost? I'm an apparition head.

32:07 - 32:14 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Martin provides a specimen of evidence from Acts 2, detailing how Peter's aggressive evangelism at Pentecost immediately led to the establishment of the church in Jerusalem, with…

A reference to a 'Bible reading' at an 'English deeper life conference' is used to set the expectation for a rapid, extensive survey of scripture in the book of Acts.

All right? Open up your Bibles then, tighten your seatbelt, wet the tips of your fingers, and we're going to make a quick trip through large sections of the book of Acts. All right? We're going to have what they would call at an English deeper life conference, a Bible reading.

44:06 - 44:22 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Martin provides a specimen of evidence from Acts 2, detailing how Peter's aggressive evangelism at Pentecost immediately led to the establishment of the church in Jerusalem, with…

The detail that the disciples were 'sitting' at Pentecost, rather than 'groaning and agonizing,' is used to highlight a specific textual detail and subtly correct a potential misconception about the posture of waiting.

The Spirit of God comes in the midst of this unusual phenomena of the rushing of a mighty wind, clothed in tongues of fire over the heads of those 120 gathered there to pray and to seek God and to wait upon Him. It says they were sitting. They weren't on the floor groaning and agonizing. They were sitting.

44:36 - 44:57 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: He continues with evidence from Acts 8 and 9, showing that scattered believers like Philip preached the word, leading to churches being planted in Samaria, and from Acts 10 and…

The description of Samaritans as 'half-breed Jews' is used to emphasize God's demonstration that they receive the same new covenant privileges as 'full-blooded Jews' when they believe in Christ.

The apostles come up, lay hands upon these converts and they receive the Holy Spirit and God gives visible evidence that they've received the Holy Spirit so much so that this character, this Simon Magus, who was a sorcerer, thought that he could buy the ability to impart the Spirit and God exposes him for what he is. But there's this mighty work there in Samaria. But when you ask the question, did Philip, did Philip establish a church?

53:05 - 53:32 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: He continues with evidence from Acts 8 and 9, showing that scattered believers like Philip preached the word, leading to churches being planted in Samaria, and from Acts 10 and…

The provocative phrase 'plain old pure-bred Gentile dogs, mongrels' is used to highlight God's radical inclusion of Gentiles, demonstrating that they receive the same saving blessings as Jews upon belief.

That full-blooded Jews gets when they believe in Christ. Now we're in the house of a Gentile dog. A Roman soldier and his household. And the Spirit of God falls upon them while the word is being preached.

56:41 - 56:56 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Further evidence from Acts 11 and 13-14 illustrates how aggressive evangelism in Antioch led to the formation and strengthening of a church, which then became the sending agency…

Martin humorously suggests that Luke, in the book of Acts, implicitly calls readers 'dummies' if they question the natural progression from conversions to church formation, emphasizing the obviousness of church planting in the apostolic pattern.

Ah, they weren't some fly-by-night, go-by-your-feelings, everyone-do-what's-right-in-his-own-eyes bunch of people carrying their placards Jesus, yes, but church, no. In the most matter-of-fact way that to me makes it even more compelling. Luke assumes as you read, of course, dummies, if there's a bunch of believers there and they've in any way been influenced by the crowd that were shaped in their thinking at Jerusalem under the apostolic perspective, of course conversions would lead to church, dummy. I don't need to stop and prove it.

62:20 - 62:58 Read in full sermon

The point: Beware of parachurch organizations that shove the church aside and do things God has committed to the church to do.

The analogy of paramedics doing what they're qualified to do until a 'real medic' (the church) can take over is used to distinguish legitimate parachurch organizations from those that 'shove the church aside' and usurp its God-given functions.

And the personnel and the gifts of the church. It's wrong. It's wrong. I'm going to say more about legitimate parachurch organizations next week.

73:58 - 74:08 Read in full sermon